U.S. SEC Emergency Rule to Curb 'Naked' Short Sales
TOOLBOX   Resize
 Save/Share +
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
|
Tuesday, July 15, 2008; 2:40 PM
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will issue an emergency rule later Tuesday to stop "naked" short selling in major financial firms, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the SEC said.
Short sellers borrow shares they consider overvalued and sell them. If the price drops, they repurchase the shares, return them and pocket the difference.
In a naked short sale, the investor sells stock that has not yet been borrowed. Sellers sometimes deliberately fail to deliver securities as part of a scheme to manipulate the stock price.
The emergency rule would require any person making a short sale in the listed securities to borrow the securities before the short sale is effected and deliver the securities on the settlement date.
The SEC has already proposed rules to curb naked short selling abuses and prevent market price manipulation.
(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
